By Julie Morgan

Published at 11:07, Thursday, 14 June 2012

AROUND 20 per cent of local women are failing to attend their cervical screening – despite the fact it saves thousands of lives a year.

Cervical Screening Awareness Week (June 10-16) is aiming to remind women of the importance of cervical screening and encourage them to attend.

Cervical screening, or a smear test, is not a test for cancer. Screening prevents cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which, if left untreated, could lead to cancer of the cervix (the neck of the womb).

In Cumbria, 32 women were diagnosed in 2008 and it is believed cervical screening helps save the lives of 4,500 women in England every year.

Last year, 82 per cent of county women over 25 had a cervical screen – above the national average of 79 per cent. However, that leaves nearly 20 percent who aren’t booking a test.

Dr Rebecca Wagstaff is NHS Cumbria’s Deputy Director of Public Health. She said: “It’s so important that women who receive a letter inviting them to go for cervical screening, do so. This is especially an issue in younger women in the 25-35 age group. They are as a group least likely to attend screening, and could be putting themselves at risk.

“Changes in the cervix don’t usually lead to cervical cancer, but they can. If these changes are detected early enough, then we can prevent women having to go through the drastic treatment and distress that cancer can cause.’’

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk